Munich!

Alright. So, this weekend we played against Paviglio. They are the worst team in the league, and we beat them both games. I went 1 for 4 in both games, which was disappointing. The team, however, did very well. We have essentially taken the number 1 seed going into the playoffs. So it's basically smooth sailing from here. I am keeping the information about the game short, mostly because it was not very interesting. What is more interesting is that on Sunday me and Chris went to Munich!

So last week as we were watching the world cup, I decided it would be awesome to watch Germany play in Germany. We hoped and prayed that they would beat the Dutch and advance to the final. Of course, they didn't, but my heart was set on going to Germany. After much debate, we decided to go anyway. Chris played in the German league for 3 years, and knew people that played for Har (located about 10 minutes outside Munich). He sent out a couple of facebook messages, and before you knew it we were on our way.

We got in the car and left Reggio by about 7:30 am. It was an ambitious move, but it needed to be done. Chris knew a few girls on the Har softball team, and told them we would make one of their games. The trip took us about 5 hours, but the 5 hours flew as we marveled at the scenery. To get to Munich, we drove up through Northern Italy, and then into Austria and finally into Germany. After Verona, we hit the swiss alps. The mountains are breathtaking, and it was exciting to see all the small and large ski villages scattered around. With no problems, we made it to Munich.

We were planning on staying just Sunday night. We booked a room at the Wombats hostel, which I was told is one of the most famous in the world. We parked the car, dropped our bags off, and headed to catch the train out to Har. The Har station was right by the softball field. When we got there, it was very hot. So, we bought a beer and found some shade. After the game was over, we spoke with the girls and decided we would meet in the town center.

We hopped on the train back to the center. Munich is home to the worlds largest koo koo clock. It's not really a koo koo clock, but its something like that. If you want to check it out, its called the Glockenspiel. Anyway, we thought it went off at 6, but it didn't. After 15 minutes of let down, we walked over to the Hofbrauhaus. It's the largest beer hall in the world. Basically, everyday is Oktoberfest there. We sat down in the beer garden, had a couple of litres, and left to meet up with our friends.

Germany is known for having the best beer in the world. It will be a common theme throughout the post. We met up with the girls, and they decided to take us to the Olympic Park to watch the World Cup final. We caught a train, and headed on over. We arrived to find hundreds of people waiting for the game to start. If you can imagine, there were a group of beer tents, and then large tables with chairs. Behind that, there was a large grass hill. All the seats were taken, and the hill seated hundreds more. Once I am able to upload pictures, I will be able to show you. Needless to say, it was awesome. We drank and watched the game. The great part about Munich is it's much like New York City in that it's very diverse. Both Dutch and Spanish fans screamed and went crazy until the end. It was my first true World Cup experience.

After the game was over, me and Chris decided it was time to head to the karaoke bar. After a couple of tunes and meeting some great people from all over the world, we headed back to the hostel to get some rest. On a side note, I was talking to a girl from London, and asked her where she thought I was from. Her guess was Wales. Wales? Really?

Anyway, rest is not what we got, due to a very hot room and a bit of a hangover. The plan for the next day was to head to the English Gardens, and then head home that night. Fortunately, things didn't go according to plan.

We woke up, drank some water, and got in the car to head to the English gardens. The English Gardens is a massive park. It is larger than Central Park. It's located right by the University, and the students use it as a beach. A river runs right through the middle of it, and people lay out next to the river. It is absolutely amazing. On one side is where the students sit. On the other side, well that's the nude side. Europe at its finest. One of the main attractions at the English Gardens is the river. The river has a decently fast current, and people jump in and ride the current all the way down. The water is freezing, being that it comes from the swiss alps. It is an amazing experience. As you float down the river, you come to bridges that you hang on to and jump off of, and rapids that toss and turn your body. There is a concrete method on how to ride the river, so if you ever go, make sure you ask.

We had the great pleasure of meeting some very cool people while at the Gardens. Coincidentally, two German baseball players sat right next to us as well as one of there girlfriends. On the other side of us, we met a beautiful Russian girl who was studying in Potsdam. We hung out together all day, riding the river and drinking at the beer garden. During the process, we decided to stay out that night. We headed back to the HB house, and had a few beers. There, we met three more girls from Auburn in Alabama. They would join us out as well. It's truly amazing and fun to hear how different people live their lives and hear new and interesting stories. It really is the best part of traveling. After a fun night out and barely any rest, we got back in the car and headed home.

Munich is by far my favorite city to date. If you have the opportunity, absolutely go. The people were incredibly friendly and the city has a lot to offer. I was really excited to venture outside Italy and go to Germany. I will definitely be going back again, as it is home to Oktoberfest! All in all, it was a great weekend and I'm looking forward to some more in the near future.
'
P.s. I was featured in an article for the Reggio Journal. It's a few page article about our team and how well we are doing. It's actually quite funny. The title says, "Solidi come il.....Marmo" (Solid like Marble) This is a play off my last name, which means Marble in Italian. It was exciting to see and be recognized. Anyway, hope everybody had a great weekend and has a great week! Talk to you soon!